Journalist Richard Dowden says solidarity is the goal but it's handicapped by regional allegiances.<br /><br />Question: Is there still a dream of African unity? <br /> <br />Richard Dowden: Well, it's still a dream. The dream is of a united states of Africa. And I think it's a good dream because that, again, is about building a sense of African identity. <br />But at the moment, it's at the regional stage. And so, you think yes, if all the different regional groupings based on the economic trading partnerships. <br />When you look at them closely, you have the dreams there but, of course, it means we lose our taxes on this and we don't; they could, then, destroy our industry on that. It gets very, very, very messy. <br />And they're not moving ahead as fast as they should. Beause once you had an East African community or West African community that was real, I think investors would come in because the markets will be that much bigger. But knowing the difficulties you have crossing borders in Africa at the moment, I don't think that investors will come in a sort of numbers they should, given the wealth of the place and the number of people there. <br /> <br />Recorded: March 16, 2009 <br /> <br /><br />Question: Is there still a dream of African unity? <br /> <br />Richard Dowden: Well, it's still a dream. The dream is of a united states of Africa. And I think it's a good dream because that, again, is about building a sense of African identity. <br />But at the moment, it's at the regional stage. And so, you think yes, if all the different regional groupings based on the economic trading partnerships. <br />When you look at them closely, you have the dreams there but, of course, it means we lose our taxes on this and we don't; they could, then, destroy our industry on that. It gets very, very, very messy. <br />And they're not moving ahead as fast as they should. Beause once you had an East African community or West African community that was real, I think investors would come in because the markets will be that much bigger. But knowing the difficulties you have crossing borders in Africa at the moment, I don't think that investors will come in a sort of numbers they should, given the wealth of the place and the number of people there. <br /> <br />Recorded: March 16, 2009
